Finished a few the last couple weeks.

"Once a Warrior King" by David Donovan. A LT leads a 5 man adviser team in Vietnam, living with a Vietnamese village, and working with the local militia forces. Great story, and well written. Lots of lessons about the war, small unit tactics, COIN, etc... Was recommended for those going on MiTTs.


"Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. A graphic novel aka long comic book, and coming to theatres this week. Famous for its serious and different take on superheroes, their identities, and their motivations. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it. Not a light or easy read, but really draws you in. Hope the movie lives up to it.


"Street Without Joy" by Bernard Fall. Another wow book. Sad history of French experience in Indochina, and how they failed to adapt to reality of the people, politics, geography, enemy, or revolutionary warfare. The later chapter when America enters the picture is equally sad and frustrating, as it predicts a poor ending, which proved true. One paragraph stuck out to me with the recent announcements on Iraq and the future Advisory and Assistance Brigades:

"... Feb 9, 1962, marked the opening date of America's involvement in the new Indochina war. Although the war "adviser" is carefully added to the name of every American operating in the country, it soon acquired the quotation marks usually reserved for assertions no one takes quite seriously any longer. Since 1961 Americans die in Viet-Nam, and in American uniforms. And they die fighting." (Fall, page 346).